Above is the brand new video/song from NJ native Shawn Lov who has been hard at work to bring in the new year with a bang by releasing a music video as part of an underground Hip-Hop coalition of pioneering artists from Trenton, NJ area called 7 Immortals which consists of many members that regularly recorded with the late, veteran Trenton NJ producer (and emcee) Tony D who is best known for his work with Poor Righteous Teachers and YZ. Produced by The Custodian of Records "Thursday Night Live" is the lead single from the forthcoming 7 Immortals album - one of the many new releases to drop in 2012.

Welcome to the new year of 2012 in hip-hop when there should be some real good releases (and lots of them) dropping; albeit most will be digital files since, of all genres, hip-hop seems to be releasing the least physical copies - ironic considering that the genre was built on vinyl records. As with the past numerous years 2012 got off to a start with Skillz (formerly MC Skillz) doing his always fun, annual wrap of the main happenings (hip-hop and mainstream news) of the previous year in a nicely wrapped up rap song. Uploaded on January 1st below is Skillz' "2011 Rap Up" with references to such folks as white Oakland rapper Kreayshawn and the late great golden era hip-hop star Heavy D.

Skillz "2011 Rap Up" (2012)

Due out later this month is Kid Cudi's anticipated new album which will feature the popular Dot Da Genius produced-song "No One Believes Me" that was released in advance several months ago. The video below, directed by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock), was featured on Fright Night movie soundtrack. Note that the album is not the follow up to 2010's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager but rather the first release from the rock band he and Dot da Genius formed called WZRD (formerly Wizard).

The self-titled WZRD album is scheduled to be released on Cudi's 28th birthday, January 30, 2012. Also below is a video for a song off the just released Wiz Khalifa album O.N.I.F.C. The video for the album track "California" was shot in Hawaii. Another late year release coming midway into December was the album the EARN by the emcee yU which was released by the always dependable Mello Music Group folks and features head nodding songs like "Time Machine / Remember U"

Wiz Khalifa "California" (2011)

Kid Cudi "No One Believes Me" (2011)

Dudley Perkins - Interplanetary Peace Talks 2012 A.U.

Above is the full length (just over an hour) documentary on Dudley Perkins who many know from both his solo work under his own name or his alias Declaime, as well as his Madlib collaborations. Produced by Xylophone Films the documentary is titled Interplanetary Peace Talks 2012 A.U. and it details the Oxnard, CA artist;s life and career focusing on both his music and his spirituality. He also goes into his Declaime moniker, and how his real name, Dudley Perkins, actually became his alter ego. "The name Declaime stuck to the point where a lot of people thought that was my real name," explains Dudley. "So when I told them my name was Dudley they thought I was playing a joke on them, so it turns out Dudley Perkins became the alter ego!" In addition to being recently uploaded on YouTube in its entirety the documentary is also available in high-quality DVD format as part of Dudley's latest release, Self Study.

As Lateef the Truthspeaker mentioned in a recent Amoeblog interview he and fellow Quannum Projects member Lyrics Born are working on a long awaited new Latryx album that will drop sometime this year. Meanwhile their buddy/fellow Quannum artist/hella underrated emcee Gift of Gab from Blackalicious will also be releasing a new album in 2012. Slated for a March 27th release date the album is titled Next Logical Progression and will feature such songs as the uplifting "Rise" and "Dream Warrior" and the sociological observant "Market And 8th" as well as the album's first single, "Everything is Fine," which features cameos from both the aforementioned Latryx and the godfather of funk himself George Clinton.

Finally some sad news care of BAS-1 who informs the Amoeblog that OG Oakland rap figure Allan Blackwell recently passed away. Blackwell was the manager and executive producer of North Oakland's APG Crew who in 1989, when they released their debut album On The Rise (Metro Records) got voted best Bay Area rap act. The cover of the long out of print album is right.